I. Field
The following description relates to wireless communications, in general, and to facilitating frequency reuse for downlink control channels in wireless communication systems, in particular.
II. Background
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication. For instance, voice and/or data can be provided via such wireless communication systems. A typical wireless communication system, or network, can provide multiple users access to one or more shared resources (e.g., bandwidth, transmit power). For instance, a system can use a variety of multiple access techniques such as Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM), Time Division Multiplexing (TDM), Code Division Multiplexing (CDM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), and others.
Generally, wireless multiple access communication systems can simultaneously support communication for multiple user equipment (UEs). Each UE can communicate with one or more base stations (BSs) via transmissions on forward and reverse links. The forward link (or downlink (DL)) refers to the communication link from BSs to UEs, and the reverse link (or uplink (UL)) refers to the communication link from UEs to BSs.
Frequency reuse in the communication systems enables enhanced cell edge coverage and, when combined with dynamic channel information feedback and traffic information, may improve total cell throughput as well. In Long Term Evolution (LTE) Release 8 systems, implementing frequency reuse for data transmissions over a Physical Downlink Shared Channel (PDSCH) or a Physical Uplink Shared Channel (PUSCH) can be relatively straightforward due to the existence of subband-based channel quality information feedback, and X2-based backhaul information exchange.
However, it is not straightforward to achieve frequency reuse for LTE DL control channels. Systems, apparatus and methods for facilitating frequency reuse for DL control channels are therefore desirable.